Name: Steve Maloof (UGA/BBA 1992)
Family: Wife Karen (UGA/BBA 1993) and children Maggie (UGA/BS 2025) and George (UGA/BBA 2028 expected). Go Dawgs!
Hometown: Atlanta
Current Town: Atlanta
What Years at UGA: 1988-1992
School/Degree: Terry, BBA – Risk Management and Insurance
Profession: Insurance Broker, Managing Partner @ The Baldwin Group. Formerly Tanner, Ballew and Maloof, Inc.
Accolades: Voted best Dad by my kids and Trophy Husband by my wife … at least that is what the coffee cups say.
What life lessons did you learn while at UGA? As a walk on football player, I learned about humility and hard work. I never made it into a varsity game but was on the 1st team scout defense so got to play against some of the best players in the country every week preparing for the upcoming opponent. That taught more about the value of effort than talent and that stuck with me through my life. If you aren’t born with it then work your ass off and you can close the gap a little … but if you are born with it, congrats! lol
What professor did you most admire? Dr. Rob Hoyt. Dr. Hoyt was a student’s professor as he cared not only about you as a student but also as a professional in the business. He stays in touch with his students that came through the Risk Management program and is always available to advise and assist.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? I would say, from a personal standpoint, my children as they have both turned out to be exceptional human beings that work hard and care greatly about others. But also, the success of the business I built with my business partners and colleagues at TBM.
Which historical figure do you most identify with? I would say Ronald Reagan. I appreciated his integrity and his connection with people. He also took strong positions and stood by those positions and accepted the consequence of his decisions and those of his administration. The Great Communicator … I love listening to old Reagan sound clips, he said it like it was!
Who are your heroes in real life? My Mom. She touches people in a way that makes everyone feel special. She is all about kindness and love with no conditions. That’s not easy.
Quote to live by: “Just do it” not very deep but it speaks to trying new things. You never know unless you try.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Sunny, 70 degrees and playing golf at Ansley Golf Club on Friday in The Swindle with all my buds.
What is your most marked characteristic? I asked my daughter and she said “compassion” … I will take that!
What do you most value in your friends? I love hanging with my friends, laughing and carrying on. It generally revolves around golf or football and having a drinks but I value the connection and loyalty of old friends the most.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My hair thickness!
Who are your favorite writers? John Grisham probably because its good, easy reading but my favorite book is The Match by Mark Frost. It is a supposed true story about a golf match between Ben Hogan and Bryon Nelson vs two amateurs, Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward at Cypress Pointe. Great read!
Fave social media and who to follow? A good friend of mine has a podcast called “Reasonably Happy” which was formerly called “Crazy Money”. Paul Ollinger and I went to high school together and he is now a stand up comic (after a successful biz career with Facebook and others) and really smart guy. His podcast is great with great guests and relatable topics … highly recommend!